HAIR’S WHAT I THINK or Let’s Shake on It

Let’s talk business. I’ve owned Salon in the Mills for sixteen years, now. I like it. I’m happy doing hair. But sometimes, I’m not even sure how all of this happened. I think it may have started with a bang trim in my closet. Either way, there are days when I feel like my profession was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Careers are funny that way. Most people fall into them. Some people are dragged into them…

So, here’s a brief and uneducated history lesson, from me, about careers:

1. The surnames Bowman, Bishop, Abbot, Pope, Carpenter, Plumber, Monk, Parsons, etc. all came from people who did not know how to diversify! What the *&%$*! If your name is Plumber you have to be one? Well, that’s not fair! Maybe, at some point in history, my surname was Cutter or Shearer. But I also came from a restaurant family, so maybe my name was Cook or Baker- or Ham? Maybe I’m related to John Hamm! Maybe that’s why I get so excited when I see anything from the Sixties?

Okay. I’m done with that part – except to say that It would be awful to have to change your name just because you didn’t want to follow in the family business.

Actually, I’m not done with that part. Here’s a list of names that would not have worked for me in the career department: Cattleman, Ploughman, Shepherd, Musselman, Priest, Brewer…Wait! Brewer would have worked! Drinkman, Hopps, Rich, Richer, Richman – all good!

Family businesses are the bomb-diggity (my kids hate it when I use that term – they’re probably just jealous that I can still get away with saying it).

Thirty-five percent of Fortune 500 companies are family owned (a statistic that does not apply to Salon in the Mills).

By the year 2017, 40.3 percent of family business owners expect to retire (again, a stat that does not apply to me). It states that their businesses will transfer to the future generation – along with some blah, blah, blah about how inefficient we are as estate planners, etc. (which if you ask my accountant, does apply to me).

There is also a little statistic about how many family business transfers are based on ‘a good understanding’ (like a gentleman’s agreement) of expectations. Oh man! There are going to be a lot of family feuds in 2017.

“Honey, when I die you can have my diamond earrings,” said my Great Aunt, to everyone in the family…

3. If I knew where I was going with this conversation, I would know what number three is. But, I guess what I’m trying to say is: HAIR’S WHAT I THINK:

a. Life is too short to do something you hate for a living.

b. Don’t fight with your family about stuff they are giving you (even if it’s an old sofa).

c. Just because your name is Cobbler, it doesn’t mean the shoe has to fit. It could mean you should be making fruit and dough thingies with cherries and stuff.

d. The reason the family business might work best for you is because we love you and want you to be happy (and starting from scratch sucks and we hate it when you don’t want our old sofa).

e. The largest family-owned business in the US is Wal-Mart, Inc.(which has no real relationship to this a-b-c list. I just wanted you to know).

So, in closing, in 2017, I will be passing my business down to… Eh? You didn’t understand that conversation we had while you were ordering that hummus and tabouli salad with the sliced red peppers? We had an agreement! What part of “You’re taking care of me for the rest of my life” did you not understand? Kids. What are you gonna do?

Salon tip of the day: The sun is still a great source of Vitamin D. On top of taking supplements, get out in the sun for twenty minutes before you use your sunscreen. Uncovered arms and legs can usually handle that much sun without damage.

What do we need vitamin D for?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services3, vitamin D is essential for the “formation, growth, and repair of bones and for normal calcium absorption and immune function” and there are studies to suggest that “higher levels of vitamin D in the blood are associated with reduced risks of colorectal cancer; however, the research results overall have been inconsistent.”

It is crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of healthy bones.

It is an immune system regulator.

Aids the immune system – vitamin D may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, say scientists from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital Boston.

MS risk – it may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is much less common the nearer you get to the tropics, where there is much more sunlight, according to Dennis Bourdette, chairman of the Department of Neurology and director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Oregon Health and Science University, USA.

Maintaining cognitive functions – vitamin D may play a key role in helping the brain keep working well in later life, according to a study of 3000 European men between the ages of 40 and 79.

Healthy body weight – vitamin D probably plays an important role in maintaining a healthy body weight, according to research carried out at the Medical College of Georgia, USA.

Asthma symptoms and frequency – it can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms, and also the likelihood of hospitalizations due to asthma, researchers from Harvard Medical School found after monitoring 616 children in Costa Rica.

Protects from radiation damage – a form of vitamin D could be one of our body’s main protections against damage from low levels of radiation, say radiological experts from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Vitamin D and cancer risk – various studies have shown that people with adequate levels of vitamin D have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, compared to those whose levels are low. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in cancer patients regardless of nutritional status in a study carried out by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

T.B. recovery – high vitamin D doses can help people recover from tuberculosis more rapidly, researchers reported in September 2012 in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Heart attack risk – an study published in September 2012 suggested that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of heart attack and early death.

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Blog Author

Kathy Aspden

I am a lifelong Cape Codder - a true Millbilly. I've been writing for as
long as I can remember. I currently have a screenplay, entitled "Act Your
Age" under consideration with CAP Productions/Hallmark movies. I've just
completed another, "Only ... Read Full